We're a pioneering mental health charity transforming care for children and young people through science, collaboration and clinical innovation.
Shaping the future of young people’s mental health
Through our research, we shed light on why mental health problems develop, and design new approaches to prevention and intervention in partnership with children, young people, families and communities. We share our expertise by training clinicians, teachers and social care professionals, and by helping services and policymakers use evidence to improve the systems that shape young lives.
In a rapidly changing world, we champion fresh, practical approaches that foster trusted relationships to give every child the opportunity to thrive.
We’ve led the way in reimagining mental health care for more than 70 years. Join us today to help us build a future where every young person receives the right support at the right time.
Our vision
Our vision is a world where all children and young people can achieve their full potential.
A world in which they and their families get support that is designed with their input, available at the right time, which meets their needs, so that they can develop their emotional and mental health.
Our mission
Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children and families. We will achieve this in three ways:
1. Closing gaps in science. We will work to understand and tackle the root causes of mental illness, confronting how and why mental health problems emerge in children and young people– and understanding their nature and impact. We will approach gaps in the science as a collaborative project, listening to lived experience and widening public participation in research to help achieve scientific breakthroughs.
2. Closing gaps in implementation. We will design, test and expand new approaches, interventions and models. We will improve the effectiveness of how help is experienced by children, families and communities. We will help to transform the systems around them – designing the architecture, making the connections and improving how all those involved work together to maximise their impact, so that access to help does not depend on social, ethnic or economic background or geographic location.
3. Closing gaps in access to knowledge. We will distil, translate and disseminate knowledge about what works. We will build tools, provide training and host peer support networks for parents, carers, professionals and policy makers – growing the confidence, skills and understanding of everyone who has an impact on the lives of children and families.
Mental Health Charity | Anna Freud
Tel: +44 (0)20 7794 2313
Email: info@annafreud.org